He's A Pirate
by Countess Vanessa
Summary: Elizabeth Swan has a sister: Vanessa.  This is the story of how she escaped her father's oppressive clutches and found freedom, but lost her heart to a certain pirate along the way.
1. Chapter 1

I am not like other women my age. Most women my age would be getting their beauty sleep at this hour, not stealing liquor out of their father's cabinets and reading until dawn. The staunch rum burns my throat, but helps to lessen the burn in my eyes as I read. Tales of the sea and its seductions first captured my attentions when I was eight years of age, as I crossed the Atlantic Ocean with my father and sister. Being of a troublesome sort, my sister and I were always inclined to listen in on the tales told by the crew late at night, when we were supposed to be asleep: tales of cursed treasure, pirates, and immortal legends. Hardly the sort of things the Governor's daughters should be thinking about. As we grew older, she became more and more content to play the role of the dutiful daughter. I, on the other hand, grew more restless, and longed to set sail on the waters I had read so much about. In order to do that, however, I would need a ship and a crew; both of which my father refused to grant me. And so I was trapped on land, for the most part. Some nights I snuck down to the pier and borrowed a fisherman's dinghy, letting it drift out towards the horizon until the sun started to rise. This is my story: the story of how I escaped my father and gained my greatest desire; and lost my heart along the way.

I couldn't sleep. I'd been awake for hours, thinking. I could hear my father knocking on my sister's door across the hall. He knew better than to wake me at this hour. His voice, somewhat muffled, slipped under my door as he spoke with her. It sounded as though he'd bought her another dress from London. I rolled my eyes as I rolled out of bed. I'd much rather have a sword than a dress. Besides, it was probably just a cheap enticement for her to look especially pretty at the inauguration ceremony today. I had to show my face there, unfortunately. I didn't want to lose my favor with the upper-class population here at Port Royal. That might serve me ill in the future. I pulled on the first petticoat I laid my eyes on, and then had second thoughts. With a wicked grin, I let it slide to the floor, leaving on only a pair of pantaloons. Knowing my father, he'd probably bought Elizabeth something white and saint-like. I pulled out a tight-fitting wine-colored dress, carelessly brushing my hair back as I laced it on. I could care less about whom Captain Norrington proposed to, but it wouldn't hurt to look ravishing. There was no man on the island who had caught my eye, unfortunately for them. I painted my mouth a dark plum to match my dress, and left my long, dark curls down. My dress hem was long, but I slipped on flat-bottomed shoes anyway, to defy the current high-heeled fashion. As I stepped outside, I heard a knock at the front door. Curious, I peered over the banister as one of our servants opened the entryway. Recognizing the shy young man standing there, I called out, "Hello, Will!" He looked up at me and grinned in reply. I glided down the stairs and hugged him fiercely. Will Turner had been a close friend of mine ever since my sister had spotted him adrift at sea, a victim of a pirate attack. As the blacksmith's apprentice, he taught himself the art of sword craft, and gave me lessons in his spare time. "What are you doing here, Will? Come to ask for Elizabeth's hand?" I winked at him conspiratorially. Will had been in love with my sister as long as he and I had been friends. She was oblivious, of course. He flushed a red as dark as my dress, but recovered himself as my father came down the stairs. I curtsied at Will, and excused myself. I slipped into the kitchen to grab some breakfast before we had to leave. As I ate, I could hear Will discussing the sword he had made for Commodore Norrington. Then I heard my father exclaim, "Oh, Elizabeth! You look absolutely stunning!" I stuck my head out of the door to see for myself. She looked angelic, with her hair swept up; small blonde curls framing her face. As I had guessed, her dress was white, with small blue flowers. Her face lit up as she saw Will, and rushed down the stairs to greet him. "Will! It's so good to see you! I had a dream about you last night!" I raised my eyebrows. My sister was not usually so outspoken. It must have been a very good dream. I chuckled to myself, returning to the kitchen to finish my meal. A few moments later, my father called to me: "Vanessa! We're leaving!" I quickly finished, and rushed out to the carriage to join Elizabeth and my father. Will remained on the steps staring after us as we pulled away, a wistful look on his face.

The ceremony was long and boring. I greeted everyone cordially, but slipped away a half-hour into the commencement. I escaped to one of my favorite haunts, a stone archway overlooking a steep cliff that kissed the sea. The wind buffeted my loose curls, and I closed my eyes to the feeling, enjoying the caress of the wind against my cheeks. When I opened my eyes, I looked back at the fort and saw the crowds making their way towards me. Sighing, I cast one last look out at the sea, and then prepared myself for the social hour to come. I saw my sister on Commodore Norrington's arm, and grinned. No doubt he was going to propose to her now that he was a high-ranking officer. I moved away to talk to a few society ladies, keeping an eye on Elizabeth and the Commodore. As I chatted idly, I wondered what she would say to his proposal, if he had the guts to make one. As far as I gathered, Elizabeth reciprocated Will's feelings, but it was hard to say. I didn't talk about such things with her. I glanced over at my sister. She was listening to something the Commodore was saying, her hand on her chest. I returned my attention to the celebration as a platter of sweets went by. I was just about to obtain a scone or two, when I heard my sister's name being bellowed by the Commodore. Shocked, I turned around. Surely he wouldn't have that much of a negative reaction to being turned down. As I turned, I saw only the Commodore at the cliff's edge. I froze, as my sister was nowhere in sight. He screamed my sister's name once more, then started to take off his coat. Oh, God! She must have fallen off the edge! I started to run down to the nearest dock, praying desperately as I went. Please, God, don't let her have hit the rocks. The Commodore and his men were right behind me as I ran down the pier. A strange sight greeted our eyes as we neared the end of the dock. Two soldiers stood over my sister, dressed only in her petticoat, with a strange man kneeling over her. One of the soldiers held a corset in his hand. The Commodore unsheathed his sword under the man's chin, and ordered him to his feet. He did so, hands raised. My father rushed to Elizabeth, immediately covering her with his coat. She stared at the man as he stood next to the soldiers, unarmed. He was soaking wet, as was my sister. Assessing the dry state of the two soldiers, I made the conclusion that he had been the one to save my sister. I'd never seen him before in my life, but there was something strangely compelling about him. His long, dark hair was braided into all manner of pleats and dreadlocks. Beads and trinkets glittered in his hair and his beard. His eyes were rimmed with a black substance, and a red bandana covered his forehead. My sister interrupted my examination of the man: "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" The Commodore hesitated, then lowered his sword. Sheathing it, he extended his hand. "My thanks", he said, eyeing the man. The man slowly extended his hand to Norrington, almost cringing as he did so. Norrington grabbed his hand and flipped it over to reveal a pale "P" branded into the man's forearm. My eyes flitted to my sister's face. The man was a pirate!


	2. Chapter 2

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we? Pirate?" The Commodore looked up at the man's face in disdain. My father took one look at the pirate's face and said, "Hang him!" I rolled my eyes. The man had just saved my sister from a watery grave and my father was ordering him to death. Typical. The soldiers pointed their bayonets at the unfortunate man, and Gillette went to fetch some irons. I remained half-hidden by the crowd of soldiers, watching. The Commodore pushed up the man's shirtsleeve to reveal a tattoo of a sparrow. My eyes widened in disbelief- the mark of Jack Sparrow! The Commodore recognized it as well, letting go of the man's wrist and exposing his identity to all present: "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" "Captain Jack Sparrow- if you please, sir", the pirate requested, half bowing. The Commodore made a show of looking around the harbor. "I don't see your ship, _Captain_?" "I'm in the market, as it were", Sparrow commented with a smirk. One of the nearby soldiers spoke up: "He said he'd come to commandeer one!" The other rebuked him, saying, "I told you he was telling the truth! These are his, sir!" He offered the effects he was carrying to the Commodore's inspection. The pirate flinched considerably as his personal belongings were rifled through. Norrington looked over a pistol with one shot, a compass, a jacket, a hate, as well as a sword, rather condescendingly. The last of these he pulled out of its scabbard. "I half expected it to be made of wood. You are, without doubt, the worst pirate I've ever heard of." The pirate's answer made me smile: "Ah, but you have heard of me!" With that, Norrington grabbed the pirate's arm and started to drag him away. To my surprise, my sister spoke up. "Commodore, I really must protest! Pirate or not, this man saved my life." The lieutenant returned and began to manacle Sparrow's hands. "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness", the Commodore rebuked. "But it seems enough to condemn him!" Sparrow said. "Indeed", replied the Commodore. The lieutenant finished with the iron cuffs and left Sparrow's side. The pirate sighed with relief: "Finally!" Taking us all by surprise, he leapt forward and wound the chains around my sister's throat! We all started forward, but my father cried out "No! Don't shoot!" Sparrow grinned at him. "I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington, my effects please- and my hat!" It struck me as odd that a pirate, no less a pirate in Sparrow's current position, would say 'please'. The Commodore glared at Sparrow, motionless. "Commodore!" Sparrow tightened the chains around Elizabeth's throat. I stepped behind the crowd and pulled out a knife from a small scabbard on my thigh. Bluffing or not, this pirate would not hurt my sister. I moved around slowly as the Commodore ordered for the pirate's belongings to be handed over. They were given to Elizabeth. "Now, if you'll be very kind?" The pirate leered at my sister as she began to return the pirate's effects to their proper places. She roughly shoved the tri-cornered hat onto Sparrow's head, and innocently put her arms around him to buckle his scabbard. He grinned at Norrington, who looked away in disgust. Finally, she shoved his compass into his belt, wiping the smile from his face. "Easy on the goods, darling." Elizabeth looked up into his face, scowling: "You're despicable." "Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you saved mine, we're square." Sparrow grinned, and spun her around to face us once more. Holding his pistol to her head, he started slowly backing away towards the edge of the dock. We all followed warily. "Gentlemen!" Sparrow announced. Then, looking at Elizabeth, "Milady." She said nothing, chilled from the water and from dismay. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" With that, he released Elizabeth, shoving her into the Commodore's arms and grabbing hold of a nearby rope. I lunged forward, intending to take his gun. Kicking a lever, he was launched up into the air as the rope shortened. I managed to grab hold of his boot for a few moments before he was ripped out of my grasp. He looked down at me in surprise as he was hoisted higher and higher. He reached the top of the boom that the rope was attached to, and began to swing around in a circle. I couldn't help but laugh at the surprised expression on his face. My father looked at me disdainfully, and asked the Commodore: "Now will you shoot him?" "Open fire!" yelled the Commodore. I knelt down to avoid the bullets as the soldiers began firing on Sparrow. He yelled in surprise and fear as the bullets whizzed by him. Luckily for him, the soldiers were horrible shots. He managed to land on a nearby beam, and slid down the rope leading to another dock. Still dodging bullets, he ran, hands over his head, over the bridge into the town. Sheathing my knife, I overheard the Commodore tell the Lieutenant that Sparrow had a dawn appointment with the gallows. Swearing under my breath, I snuck away to the bridge and ran into town another way. As long as Sparrow had menaced my sister, he'd been a threat to me. Now, as a fugitive on the run, I hoped I would find him before the soldiers did. I could provide him with a safe house, and he could provide me with a ticket out of Port Royal. I dashed to Will's blacksmith shop, where I kept a spare pair trousers and a shirt. I slowly opened the door, peering into the dim shop. I spied Will's employer slumped over in a chair, a bottle of liquor in his hand. Thankfully, he was snoring. I cast a look around the street behind me, and then stepped into the shop. Within seconds a sword was at my throat, and a soft voice spoke quietly into my ear. "Hello, love."


	3. Chapter 3

I just want to say a quick thank you to all my reviewers! I'm sorry the updates are slow but I will do my best to keep them coming J Please keep commenting and reviewing, it means the world to me.

Rather than fear, I felt a sudden excitement at his touch. His arm was snaked around my waist and I could feel his breath on my ear. "Hello, Mr. Sparrow", I countered, my pleasure at having found him evident in my voice. That seemed to throw him for a moment. He let me go and turned me to face him, squinting at my face. "That's _Captain_ Sparrow, darlin'. Happy to see me?" he asked, confusion crinkling his dirty brow. "Something along those lines. We should go quickly, you're not safe here, _Captain_". I turned to lead him out the back door, but he caught my arm. "First things first, you've got me at a disadvantage. Can't trust a woman who doesn't tell me her name nor what she's up to, savvy?" "Fine. You can call me Vanessa and I'm offering you a place to hide until we can leave Port Royal undetected. Satisfied?" He still held my arm, unconvinced. "And how do I know you're not just leading me back to the gallows? You looked about as ready to shoot me when I threatened Elizabeth as anyone else." He brought his face close to mine, trying to intimidate me no doubt. "And what do you mean, _we_? When I escape, I most certainly will not be needing a female". He let me go and stepped back, smiling cheekily. "Too much baggage, y'know". Winking, he stepped around me and started to walk to the back of the shop. "Thank you, but I've no need of assistance. You be a good lass and run along home". He turned to grin at me again but I had already moved. He stopped and looked around, unable to find me. Shrugging, he started forward again and stopped in surprise as he found me blocking his path. "I am not letting you leave this Port unless you take me with you. So, either come with me, or I'll 'run along home' and tell everyone where you are. It's not like you'll get far in those cuffs". I crossed my arms and waited. He opened his mouth to say something, but the front door started to open.

He quickly grabbed me around the waist and pulled me down behind a table. Dust swirled up from the straw floor, making me desperately want to sneeze. Sparrow saw and covered my entire face with his hand to quiet me. From our position under the table, all we could see were the legs of the person who had entered. From what I could tell, it was Will, but I wanted to be sure. I hadn't gone to all this trouble just to be discovered by one of the Commodore's soldiers. The legs came closer and Sparrow roughly hauled me to my feet, his sword once again at my throat. "Will!" I cried happily. "Vanessa?" Will's expression changed from surprise to anger. "How dare you threaten her?" Sparrow chuckled. "Only threatening her a little, mate." Sparrow paused. "You look familiar, have I threatened you before?" "I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates", Will answered, his eyes meeting mine then glancing at the swords nearby. I nodded at him almost imperceptibly. Without a doubt, Will would out-maneuver the pirate with his swordsmanship, but only if I was out of the way. "Ah. Well then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just be going then". Hand still around my waist, Sparrow started backing towards the door. I quickly shoved my elbow into his stomach, twirling out of his grasp and grabbing a sword.

Will and I stood side-by-side, swords drawn as the pirate stood bent over trying to recover. He looked up to see both of us staring him down. "Oh come now, put those down before you hurt yourselves. The two of you can't possibly beat me! I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" Quickly glancing over at Will, I decided to inform him of my plans. "Listen, Will. I need to leave Port Royal. This pirate is my one chance of escape without my father stopping me. I need to hide him until things settle down. Can you help me in this?" Will hesitated before answering. "Vanessa, this pirate just threatened your sister. Are you really sure that's the best course of action?"


End file.
